Which Class D Amplifier? PS Audio, Ghent, Nord, Merrill or other???


I’m looking for a new amp & want Class D.

I’ve seen various brands mentioned, such as PS Audio, Ghent, Nord, Merrel to name a few, but I’ve not heard any of them.

Which company is producing the best sounding Class D?
Which models should I be looking to demo?


Thanks



singintheblues

Hi slimpikins5, your concern of ICEpower-based amps sounding sub-musical has some merits, if mostly from a historical point of view....


Examples of such unsatisfying amps could be found easily in some older class D amps such as the Wyred4Sound that I have heard at RMAF until about five years ago (They might have changed since then), early Red Dragon 500, and stock Rowland M201 and M501 (that is without being connected to the optional PC-1 PFC external rectifier).


This however does not imply that all ICEpower based amps are inherently less than musical... In fact, even some now elderly amps that I have had in my system such as the Rowland M312 stereo and the Bel Canto REF1000M were authentic musical marvels, particularly for the time.


I have heard only good third party reports about recent ICEpower implementations... ’Tis worth keeping an open mind about ICEpoweer amps designed in the last three to four years. particularly if they are not simply boxes containing more or less basic ICEpower modules and little else.


ICEpower modules are very flexible... A manufacturer can use them all by themselves to create an entry level amp, or can use them as building blocks in the design of amps of any increasing level of sophistication.


Saluti, Guido



singtheblues,
     If you want specific recommendations, you still need to let us know your budget, the rest of your system any other requirements.    Even a dollar range will do. 
     You need to throw us a bone, here for good suggestions.  There are a wide variety of good class D amps at a wide range of price points.  I consider under $1K as low priced, $1 to about $8K as mid priced and over about $8K as high priced (all prices $USD)
      My opinion is that you're best option is to choose amps that allow in-home trial periods of a few weeks so you can return them, no questions asked, for a full refund if you don't like them.

Later,
  Tim     
     
guidocorona
 Hello George, an intriguing press release indeed... please let us know about any adopters of the high speed Peregrine/Murata Gan power conversion modules.
Your welcome, if you can get around the 6550 tube envelope bs around this, here's another one at a much cheaper price than Merrill and Technics using GaN technology.

 https://positive-feedback.com/reviews/hardware-reviews/agd-production-vivace-gantube-monoblock-ampli...

Cheers George
   
I have Bel Canto c5i based on fairly recent Icepower module.  Probably the most easy on the ears SS amp I have ever had.   I've used it with a variety of speakers, some that can lean towards being a tad fatiguing with the wrong amp.

No reason to steer clear of Icepower IMHO.   You just need a good total design around it, like with any amp.  Bel Canto does it well.